Grace For Drowning- Steven Wilson

There are two things you can be certain about when it comes to Steven Wilson. First, if you don’t find something to your liking in any of his projects, you are at least sure to find unique elements in his style of production. Second, he is a progressive artist in the truest sense. By this I mean that several ostensible progressive artists are deemed so only by virtue of the fact that they conform to the stagnant label attached to the genre. Sure, some make progressive music but very few tap into territories that they haven’t explored in their own previous works.

Steven Wilson is one of the few who has, and his latest musical endeavor Grace for drowning is a glowing testament to this fact. Comprised of two albums (Deform To Form A Star and Like The Dust I have Cleared From My Eye), Grace For Drowning is a grand musical journey. Like in most of Wilson’s projects, with this record he has created an impeccably clean and polished sound without sacrificing any ‘feel’. Musically Grace For Drowning is a novel take on the 1970’s progressive music scene, incorporating heavy jazz-fusion influences from bands like King Crimson. The record is diverse and full of rich orchestration, terrific musicianship and dynamic arrangements. This is quite different from anything Steven Wilson has ever done, which says something considering the breath and depth of his career. Notwithstanding, the sound is uniquely recognizable as Wilson’s to anyone familiar with his work.

This record contains heavy music, choral music, ambient music and everything in between. In many cases Wilson combines these distinct elements to form a monster of a sound. Each track has its own thriving sound world.

The first side of Grace For Drowning is kicked off by the title track, a gentle but powerful opener that gradually becomes layered, setting the stage for what’s to come.

‘Sectarian’ is a marvelous instrumental that is dynamically distinct from the mild title track that precedes it in that the former is extremely heavy (with some quieter parts). By heavy I’m not referring to some generic heavy metal sound, but rather an intense atmosphere made up of richly textured distorted guitars, choral layers, and clever orchestral arrangements.

Third is ‘Deform To Form A Star’ is splendid, with excellent piano work by Jordan Ruddess from Dream Theater. This is a good example of how despite Wilson’s fascination with eclectic and complex production techniques, he still values good songwriting and melody.

Next is ‘No Part Of Me’ beginning with an urgent electronic passage that sits under a soothing vocal line, but later displaying great variety with a heavy rock section, among other elements.

‘Postcard’ is certainly one of the more commercial tracks on the record. This song is not one of my favorites on the album, but is simple and effective, with noteworthy string and choral arrangements.

‘Raider Prelude’ is fantastic. Its darkly beautiful choral arrangements are well structured alone, but are enhanced by the presence of a heavy grand piano sound. I love this track because it’s so wonderfully different from anything Wilson has done previously, in terms of both music and production.

The track that follows is entitled ‘Remainder The Black Dog’, a long piece with several twists and turns, all tied together by a jazz-bluesy piano theme. The saxophone performance on this track is brilliant, as is the electronic sounding heavy section along with the other segments.

The second side opens with ‘Belle De Jour’, definitely one of the best tracks on the album, almost cinematic in scope. The chord progressions are superbly melancholic, and the vibe of the track is remarkable. Absolutely lush production. ‘Index’ is incredible, driven by a metallic electronic groove. This track is programmed extremely well, and gets catchier every time you listen to it (as does the rest of the Grace For Drowning). It is also one of the more lyrically evocative tracks on the record.

Onto ‘Track One’, which begins with a simple nylon-string guitar/vocal passage but transforms into a heavy avant-garde amalgamation of sounds packed into an unusual riff. Next is the twenty-three and a half minute beast of a song, ‘Raider II’. Armed with an impressive combination of progressive jazz, delightfully heavy sections, disharmony and several other elements, this is the kind of track you can listen to five hundred times and still notice new things upon hearing it again. A true masterpiece.

The album closer, ‘Like The Dust I have Cleared From My Eye’, has a sound that is considerably similar to Wilson’s work in Porcupine Tree. This one is mellow and relatively simple. It is solid and fades out in sublime fashion.

Grace For Drowning is not easily digestible, but deserves multiple listens in order to recognize its true artistic value. I would urge anyone with an open mind to music to check out this record. It is a thoroughly intense listen but hey, you wouldn’t expect anything less from Steven Wilson.